Can opener



Ang 25, 1925. 1,550,161

v. A. J. TANNER GANOPENER Filed'Feb. 5, 1923 l Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARNOLD J'. TANNER, 0F NORTH HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CAN OPENER.

Application led February 3, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD J. TANNER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of North Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

rI`he present invention has relation to tools of a certain class employed for opening cans and other containers and the object of the invention, amongst other things, is to produce a simple and eflicient tool which is easy of operation and by means of which cans of any size and shape may be opened, either by removing the top by cutting from the sides of the can or by cutting out the top itself.

IIeretofore many types of can-openers have been proposed and put on the market and the majority of such can-openers are operated in a manner so that the cutting blade thereof becomes a lever acting from a fulcrum engaging the can. Canopeners of this class usually consists of a body serving as a handle and a support for the blade and which body carries the fulcrum for the blade.

In a tool constructed according to the present invention, principles used with certain old and well-known can-openers are adopted, but material changes have been made and certain features are added to considerably improve the article so as to render it more eflicient in service for opening cans in any way desired, either from the top or from the sides. Furthermore, the operative part of the tool, constituting the blade member, is retained in an operative position by means which also .serve other purposes, and which operating member is mounted with relation to the body member so that a very simple and effective tool is provided and which tool may be operated successfully by even an inexperienced person with the application of comparatively little force and skill.

The operative member of the tool is so designed that this member will serve as means for decapping bottles and removing paper disks, such as are used for closing milk bottles. This member is made in one piece and operates in conjunction with the body as a tool capable of performing its several functions by means that co-op- Serial No. 616,711.

erate with one another to provide a complete combination tool which is simple in construction and which can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

All the features of the improved tool will be hereinafter fully described, set forth in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the complete can-opener or combination tool;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in section showing the blade and the means for mounting the same in the head of the tool;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates a construction in which cheek plates are set in the skeleton frame which forms the handle of the tool;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modiiication in connection with the securing of the handle plates of the tool; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a device by means of which initial penetration of the blade into the side of a can is effected under leverage.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the said drawings comprises a body member 1 having a continuous skeleton frame handle 2 and head 3 with an intermediate shank 4 connecting said members so as to constitute a one-piece body member which preferably is a malleable iron casting or a drop-forging. The head 3 is slotted centrally and longitudinally up to the line 5 so as to provide a recess into which the blade member 6 is received and secured by a single rivet 7. The blade member 6 is provided with a recess 8 into which is seated the shouldered end 9 of the shank 4 and by such means the blade is securely held in an operative position.

rlihe blade 6 has as an integral part thereof the projection 10 so as to provide stock for the shouldered or retaining means 8, and this projection is adapted to operate as a device for decapping bottles. Another projection 11 is provided to operate as a fulcrum for the decapper device 10, and this further projection ,'11 is adapted to serve as means which may be employed for removing paper caps employed for closing milk bottles and the like. As before stated the cutting blade 6, decapping projection 10, and spear-pointed projection 11 form an integral part of the blade member, and

which complete member is comparatively small and may therefore be economically made of superior quality steel easy to properly finish and sharpen. It will be noted the blade is sharpened by an inwardly beveled edge which is so designed that in the cutting operation, the edge of the opening in the can is rolled against the rim of the can thereby leaving a clean cut. lt will further be noted that the blade is centrally held within the head in alinement with the aXis of the tool and that the end of the slot in the head 3 is flared so as to provide a V-shaped recess 12 which is offset from the center line so that there is a tendency to hold and guide the tool and thereby the cutting blade is caused to remain close to the side walls of the can. The rim of the can is engaged within the recess 12 and is gripped therein so that by this means a wedge-like and non-slipping ulcrum is provided for the blade.

The handle 2 as stated is a skeleton frame, and to stien the same the inner edges are beveled at 14 and webs 15 are provided to further reinforce the handle.

The open skeleton frame handle has the advantage that it may easily be kept clean and is suiiiciently serviceable for practical purposes, and with such a handle the tool may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost; however', in some instances it may be desired to add to the appearance of the tool and further to provide a handle which will offer a better grip, therefore, it is proposed to utilize the reinforcing webs as means for securing handle plates 16, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In this construction the webs 15 are provided with holes to receive rivets 17 by means of which the handle plates 16 are held in place, the beveled edges 1-1 insuring a perfect seat and fit for said plates which after being assembled may be finished so as to produce a neat and serviceable handle. In Fig. 6, the webs 15 have formed thereon lugs 18 which are adapted to serve as rivets for securing the handle plates 16.

Vhen operating the tool for cutting out the top of a can initial penetration oi' the blade point is effected with comparatively little exertion on the part of the operator, but when the point is inserted into the side of the can preparatory to cutting olil the top, more force is required. To facilitate this penetration, as shown in F ig. 7, the projection 11 is bent sideways to form a hook which engages the usual rim of the can and so acts as a iulcrum for the blade besides as a fulcrum for the bottle decapping means.

It is acknowledged that can-openers of all descriptions employing, as hereinbeore mentioned, a body, a cutting blade, and a fulcrum for the blade, have been proposed; but in no instance has it been proposed to construct a tool having the novel features of the improved combined tool herein described wherein the component parts of the tool are constructed and arranged so as to be co-operative in their relation with each ther and thus produce a tool having all parts thereof designed to perform their mechanical functions with elciency and besides to be well balanced and shapely so as to improve the appearance of the tool.

Various modilications besides those herein pointed out may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore it is intended to cover any modiiication that comes fairly within the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A can-opening tool as described having a head member and a blade member secured therein; a longitudinal slot having an open flaring end formed in said head member to receive said blade member; means comprising a notch in the inner end of said blade member engaging a shoulder in the inner end ot said slot whereby the blade member is secured so that the cutting edge thereof is retained in an operative position beneath said head member substantially in alignment with the flaring open end of said slot and which flaring open end operates as a guiding fulcrum for the tool.

2. A tool as described having a solid integral head and shank and an operative member secured in said head, a longitudinal slot formed in said head to receive said operative member, a rivet and auxiliary means integral with said head and said member for securing said member, a blade and a hook constituting integral parts of said member located on opposite sides of said head, and a fulcrum provided at the free end of said head whereby operation of said hook and blade is effected.

Signed at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 2nd day of February, 1923.

ARNOLD J. TANNER. 

